PostHeaderIcon Now What?

I’ve taken a week to decompress. I have had an interesting reaction to the outcome of the election. On election night, I was nearly euphoric, as I bemusedly watched the stunned media, dealing with the mounting results. What had seemed so obviously predictable to me, had been more or less inconceivable to them. But after that night, the news coverage of the aftermath has been somewhat boring, and I am looking forward to focusing on other subjects.

From the beginning of his campaign, my dream mission for Trump was to create havoc, among the elites in the Incumbrepublocrat duopoly. Several months ago, I reckoned that he had already accomplished my assignment, by thrashing and marginalizing the GOPe, in the Primaries. Although as a budding anarchist, I had no real interest in him (or anyone else) becoming the next POTUS, I’ll admit that I did enjoy watching him vanquish the particularly insufferable (and patently ineligible) Canadian Born Citizen, Ted Cruz in the process. A job well done.

At that juncture, his winning the General was unimportant to me, as the Federal government itself has little relevance in my own life. Eventually, however, my sense of justice, combined with the flood of revelations documenting the nefarious activities of the Clinton Crime syndicate, instilled in me a compelling interest in Hillary’s defeat, so I kept cheering him on. Again Trump overachieved, and that in the end she couldn’t even make it to her own retirement party on election night, was particularly delicious. Was she too busy bawling, shrieking, boozing, or perhaps all three? Another job well done. 😉

Yet, a fair evaluation from my worldview, would suggest Trump’s political achievements so far, go well beyond these triumphs. Let’s start with the #NeverTrump cuckservatives. Unwilling to accept their humiliating defeat in the Primaries by an unorthodox boor, they mounted a noisy concerted effort, to stop him in the General. Delightfully, he walloped them there too, and with a little luck, in the process he probably effectively terminated a few careers, of diehard ideologues among politicians, pundits, and prognosticators. They won’t be missed. Already I am saving significant personal time, by no longer reading such publications as National Review and The Weekly Standard, or listening to their podcasts. A merciful job well done.

This, of course, brings us to the cabal of phony pollsters, and propaganda spouting spinmeisters, constantly manipulating public opinion, through the agenda driven, and oligarchy controlled MSM. Their obvious bias and polling chicanery, couldn’t have been better exposed for the bunkum it was, than by Trump’s constant charges against their lies. These charges were clearly vindicated, by his overwhelming success on election night, against all their sham prognostications and erroneous odds. Both the polling industry, and the traditional media empires, were significantly emasculated in the process. This too was a job well done.

Then, all the focus on the rift in the Republican wing of the duopoly before the election, has left underreported the near collapse of the Democrat wing, in the wake of Trumps overwhelming victory. For all the predictions that his place at the top of the ticket, would be devastating to Republican down ballot races, the opposite happened. It turns out his coattails were long and sturdy. The Democrat Party has been so decimated, they are stuck with Chuckie Schumer for Senate Minority Leader. Their bench is so weak, rookie Pocahontas Warren is about all they have for their 2020 tryouts.

They are so desperate to change their luck in DNC leadership, they are reportedly considering Bernie Sanders’ advice, to hire the avowed Muslim Progressive, Keith Ellison. Seriously… a Muslim? Now totally overwhelmed in Statehouses, governorships, and soon to be SCOTUS justices, they should be out of the game for at least a generation. Another weighty job very well done. 😀

Meanwhile, it occurs to me that only about half of eligible voters did, and half of those voted against Trump. Then, a significant percentage of the votes he got, were really cast against Hillary, not for him. Thus, it is fair to say that considerably less than 20% of eligible voters, are in any way excited, about his pending role as their leader/ruler. Much less, when non-citizen residents (legal or not), are counted. The notion that he has earned a mandate for his agenda, among the populace of America, is downright laughable. The suggestion that his unhappy opponents should now sit down and shut up, is simply ridiculous. They shouldn’t and won’t!

A great many on the Right, and the libertarian Center, (including me) were persuaded to consider the self-evident truth that Liberty is the antithesis of government, during the past 8 years. The Obamanation’s almost total disregard for the constraints of the US Constitution, and the rule of law, made it rather obvious. In the process, the premise that individual sovereignty and anarchy, would be an improvement over democratic mob rule in a nation state, is difficult for the serious thinker to escape.

In the dawning age of Trump, I suspect that many on the disenfranchised Left, may now be open to similar persuasion. It is time for me to abandon once again the tired Left vs Right battles, and get back to encouraging the Up vs Down, Liberty vs State paradigm. Therein lies an enlightened future, for individuals yearning to be free. I hope you all will join me. It should be fun. 😀 â—„Daveâ–º

32 Responses to “Now What?”

  • Chris says:

    Good to hear your thoughts Dave. Like you I have been sitting back digesting events. The media contortions are glorious. Every claim more laughable than the next. The faux distress of the “millennials” running for their “safe spaces” is nothing short of hilarity and the contracted disruptions nothing short of proof as to why Trump will occupy the oval office in January. The DNC and progressives are off the hook. They aren’t dead yet but every time they open their mouths another nail goes in the coffin. Yea, Chuck U Schumer. Seriously?

    I couldn’t help but notice your hat tip to Cruz. Of the 15 others he’s the only one to get mention? He still lives rent free. 😉 An examination of this phenomenon might be in order. Just pulling your leg. Mostly because I can’t help but think the mention was for my benefit. Actually rumor has it that Trump is thinking an AG position for him. Without a doubt he would be great there but there may be more motivation involved. Get him the heck out of McConnells hair. It’s tough to argue that over the next four years some things that we won’t like will come to the table. There is an “amnesty deal” in the works. It’s going to come. It has to.

    I’m more interested in what Trump will do with the monetary system. There is no doubt in my mind that he has a deep understanding of how global finance, and more directly the federal reserve operate. He hasn’t said much about it because it’s just not election banter and not something you do to more upset the makers of life and death. 80% of the population would have no understanding of the issue anyway. That’s why Ron Paul never really gained any traction. Where it stands right now republicans are one state short of passing any amendment they want. It’s not widely talked about but that is a lot of power. Enough to turn the whole direction of everything should they have the will to do so. That is what has the progressives out of their minds but even they dare not call attention to it. I’m on the fence over those promoting a constitutional convention. I see it as dumping out a whole can of worms to bait one hook. At least now if it were to come about the chances of anything contrary to liberty would be diminished. Thing is it’s not needed. All that’s needed is a senate with the guts to propose and pass an amendment.

    Saving the SCOTUS was also a very big step. That is provided Trump remains firm on his stated intentions. That we will just have to wait and see. It’s not out of bounds to say that no matter who he nominates will be approved. If Scalias sudden demise was “engineered” it’s done them no good. That really has to tick them off. Hillary winning this election was do or die for the progressive agenda in many ways. Not hard to understand their distress.

    One thing Trump has to do is be a bit careful who he surrounds himself with. A lot has been made of his selection of Bannon as a close adviser. I’m not one to say whether he will be an asset to Trump or not but the choice raises a lot of questions. He will have to contend with the same criticism as Obama has with Valerie Jarrett for eight years. Something that could easily be avoided. LOL I guess I should be glad he didn’t appoint him to press secretary. Could you imagine? Of course I’m betting Katrina Pierson is going to get that slot. Darn near as insufferable as Bannon would be. Something about her just rubs me wrong.

    I have nothing but the best of hopes for a Trump presidency. He’s what we got. As you said he has nothing close to a mandate. The vast majority of Americans would want someone else. That shouldn’t stop him from doing what’s right. Actually that should be more motivation for him to work to “make America great again”. One thing about Trump. He will like nothing more than to say “I told you so”. I hope he can.

    • Good analysis, Chris. I’ll take it in chunks, starting with Cruz. Yes, part of my animus toward him, is likely the ongoing disagreement we have had over his eligibility. You will recall, however, that I have held my principled viewpoint consistently for the past five years, since our days at FT. It only got worse during the campaign, when his creepy rhetorical style, phony pieties, and rank condescension were on constant display. Besides, I never had much respect for lawyers anyway. 🙁

      Your suggestion that Trump get him out of McConnell’s hair has merit. Were I he, I would probably just give him Scalia’s job, to get him out of everyone’s hair. Alito needs a buddy, and Cruz needs a position where he gets to feel important; but is expected to STFU publicly and only write worthy opinions for posterity. 😉 â—„Daveâ–º

    • I doubt that he will take on the FED. He already has a target on his back, and I doubt that his Praetorian Guard could protect him from the “Deep State,” if he pisses off the bankers too much.

      What Amendment(s) to the Constitution, do you think the Senate ought to pass? â—„Daveâ–º

      • Chris says:

        I actually wouldn’t propose any new. Repeal of past amendments should be the order of the day. Lets start with the 17th. That would restore federalism and over a moderate amount of time cure many of the ills and over reaches of the almighty federal machine. Once that sinks in a bit They could dare to repeal the 16th. That would make the states pony up the tab that their state legislature appointed senators voted to spend. Watch the federal budget wither on the vine. Once the federal government has had the carrot removed from the stick they beat the states with the federal reserve act should go out the window.

        Oddly enough it’s my opinion that that’s all that needs doing to return to the original intent and rightful position of the federal government. The only power the federal government has is unlimited amounts of cash. Most states have limited borrowing capabilities. They kiss federal azz for the not so free money. The transformation would be organic over time. States redundant but now superseded laws could then once again be the law of the land because states wouldn’t have to bend to federal will for cash. They would have to look their citizens in the eye and say it costs You/Us this much.

        People are then capable of voting with their feet. There is nowhere to go to escape the federal government. If your displeased with your state, relief could be found within a couple hundred miles in any direction. As it was intended to be.

        • Chris says:

          BTW I say this fully realizing that it’s a pipe dream.

        • Oddly enough it’s my opinion that that’s all that needs doing to return to the original intent and rightful position of the federal government.

          That would be a good start, Chris; but how about a blow for Liberty, and rewind history all the way back to the glorious period in America, under the Articles of Confederation, when the Federation had zero power to interfere in the lives of individual Americans? 😉 â—„Daveâ–º

    • Have you ever heard Bannon speak, Chris, or even read anything he has written? I hadn’t, until I listened to this 2012 interview.

      Bannon is just the latest victim of the Left’s “Politics of Personal Destruction” strategy. I first noticed it with Newt, back in his day. They were relentless. Then, there was “W” and don’t forget Tom Delay. Et al. None of these guys were anywhere near the demons they were persistently portrayed as. Listen to that interview, and you will get a completely different impression of Bannon, from that portrayed in the current media BS storm. 😉 â—„Daveâ–º

      • Chris says:

        I really haven’t had time yet to look into him. I only reference the controversy he garners from all sides. As I said I don’t know if he will be an asset or not. I do know he took Breitbart in a direction that caused me to stop reading it for the most part. My only concern is the seemingly universal negativity that surrounds him.

        • I do know he took Breitbart in a direction that caused me to stop reading it for the most part.

          Interesting, Chris; what direction was that? I always found the Breitbart site to be too irritatingly ‘busy’ with graphics, bells, whistles, and ads to spend any time perusing it. I only ever went there to read interesting articles linked from elsewhere, so I have no inclination of what editorial changes might have been made after Andrew’s untimely death.

          I suspect the “universal negativity” you perceive by the anti-Trump media (both Left & Right), has to do with the fact that Breitbart hired people like Milo, and permitted Alt-Right memes and articles to be published on their site. Is this what bothered you? If so, why? â—„Daveâ–º

        • Chris says:

          It started off as the readability problems you mentioned. They took it waaaay over the mark. Gave it the feel of nothing but click bait. It’s one of the worst out there. Endless pop ups and redirects make it unreadable. Adblock fixes most of that. My problem was probably along a credibility line. When Andrew ran the site it felt like gospel word. Once he was gone it felt as though editorial discretion became more liberal. It seems Breitbart wrote news. Breitbart.com is now much about opinion. It kind of took on the Fox news model. News all day and after the sun goes down put on a show for a sympathetic audience.

        • Chris says:

          Andrew was an investigative reporter. The site now is an echo chamber. There, it’s that simple.

  • Trump may have won the election, but I think it likely that right now is the hardest part of his whole presidency. He didn’t win the House and Senate, Republicans did. He can’t maintain the level of attack he did as a candidate as the President Elect. He doesn’t have his people together, and the power of the office is not yet his. Meanwhile, Republicans are plotting how to steal the reins of power, liberals are plotting massive marches on Washington for his inauguration, and the press is running wild with speculation.

    He’s having some trouble with appointing his cabinet. Christie lost enough of his lawsuit to look bad, got demoted in the transition team, and now is being pushed out by Trump’s son in law, whose father he put in the big house.

    I can’t decide how to feel about that. Christie is a double edged sword. Trump needs to get someone to dive deep through the corruption exposed by wikileaks and rip it out by the roots. He needs to do it because neither party will willingly support him for either governing or reelection.

    If he throws liberals some bones in policy and starts prosecuting key people, he can keep them all off balance and infighting enough to play one against the other. Christie seems perfect for the job, if he can be given a short enough leash.

    Trump needs to get a variety of people installed. Many of them need to be confirmed. I don’t like Priebus, but he needs Republicans to hold some top slots so they feel invested and have something to lose, and the Republican appointments can be contingent on confirmation of the rest.

    The rest being, of course, a motley crew of disenfranchised rejects, family, and people who gambled on Trump when few others would.

    I think he can survive this and make it work, but it’s really going to be an achievement on the scale of winning the election in the first place.

    If you want to keep track of progress and who is in the running, Wikipedia has a good resource here:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proposed_cabinet_of_Donald_Trump

    • Good analysis, Steel. Thanks for the wiki link, it will be a good resource to watch the progress. Rumor has it that Trump was disgusted that Christie left his employee hanging out to dry. A mother of three kids facing 15 years in prison. It may not have been possible to get him confirmed as AG. I am somewhat surprised that rudy didn’t want the job; but maybe he is angling for a SCOTUS slot. He could do a lot worse than giving the AG position to Trey Gowdy. I suspect he would relish it, and be on Hillary like a dog with a bone. 😉 â—„Daveâ–º

    • Chris says:

      Christie is a north east politician. If you have an R behind your name you walk a fine line. Survival requires the same dealing that you would find in any democrat. He should stick to what he knows. Appeasing democrats to stay relevant.

  • Troy Robinson says:

    What Next indeed. We are just back from visiting my daughter and family in Berkeley, CA. As one might expect, there were demonstrations and signs everywhere denouncing Trump. Even some middle school students in CA (and their teachers, of course) walked out of school in protest. Give me a break! Does anyone really imagine that kids care all that much about the election?

    I am struck by two thoughts:

    1. Trump has not been inaugurated yet.

    2. The “fat lady” isn’t even tuning up yet. This is in no way over and done with.

    That said, Trump does have a very highly qualified group of people from whom to chose a cabinet as well as justices so it could all work out for the better. Except for that pesky lot we call “we the sheeple”. Fact is, taken as a group, we don’t amount to much and it is hard for me to imagine a government that is actually better than its citizens.

    Simple truth is that we cannot vote (or not vote) our way out of the mess WTS have made of this once fine republic. We need a culling of the herd of the first order if real progress is to be made again.

    In related news, I see that Hawking says we have no more than 1000 years left on Earth. I’ll bet Earth so hopes that Hawking has it right. In Earth time, 1000 years is but a wink of the celestial eye.

    Meanwhile, all we can do is hide and watch.

    Troy

    • Hi Troy, welcome back.

      Simple truth is that we cannot vote (or not vote) our way out of the mess WTS have made of this once fine republic.

      Funny… works for me. What mess? I haven’t been more than a dozen miles away from my hermitage in over five years, so I haven’t encountered it. My neighbors leave me be, and I couldn’t care less how folks are treating each other on the other side of the mountains.

      Progress? When did it stop? I’ve got a 60mb broadband connection, and periodically the big brown truck delivers me new and improved toys for using it. Life is pretty good hereabouts, from my perspective. 😉

      1000 years is way beyond my event horizon. Every time I try to take life too seriously, I recall Robert Ringer’s “Ice Ball Theory.” At some point in the future, the sun will finally burn out. Well before that event, Earth will have turned into a frozen ball of ice, which is uninhabitable by human life. Well before that point, whatever we were concerning ourselves with back in the 21st century, will be utterly immaterial to our posterity. 🙁 â—„Daveâ–º

  • Chris says:

    I see that Hawking says we have no more than 1000 years left on Earth.

    Is it shallow of me to say I’m not worried?

  • Hawkins being good with physics doesn’t mean he’s good with anything else, much less predicting a thousand years of human progress and failure. Personally, I doubt humanity will be the smartest thing on the planet in 30 years, or even mostly on it in 300.

    • Chris says:

      I have little confidence seeing as far as tomorrow.

    • Yeah, who would have predicted two years ago that Donald Trump could go up against 18 Republicans, then the Republican party, then a Supreme Court justice, then the Pope, the media, and finally the Democrat nominee, and still manage to win the presidency by enough that he didn’t even need Florida? You would have to be a lot smarter than Hawking to predict the next thousand days, much less years.

  • All of the job well done and he has not been sworn in … lol

    Trump appears to equal the energizer bunny. Can we name anyone of late who has launched a speaking tour like he did? Political or otherwise?
    If so I missed it.

    We will be getting our moneys worth at least.
    No salary and on his toes 20 hours a day?
    A bargain to say the least 🙂

    • Yeah, CT, my working title for this post was “Jobs Well Done,” before it morphed toward the future perspective.

      Yes, for those of you actually looking forward to the job he will do, it will be a bargain, if he delivers on your expectations. For my own part, I can’t help notice that he is still a statist, and probably more left leaning than right.

      For instance, I would prefer that Obamacare be repealed, and government get the hell out of America’s health care industry. Trump intends to keep and “fix” it instead. If I had my way, the various government “Entitlement” Ponzi schemes, like SSI and Medicare, would be abolished before the debt they are racking up utterly destroyed the economy. Trump intends to “save” them, promising to “grow” the economy to afford them. Any way one looks at that, it remains a wealth transfer system, whereby working taxpayers are supporting non-working, tax-spending retirees and such.

      No matter how much I appreciated his vanquishing of Hillary, et al, I still cannot support his decidedly socialist/statist agenda. It is a very long way from the laissez faire capitalism, and minimalist defensive structure of America’s Founders, which I might be tempted to support. â—„Daveâ–º

      • Chris says:

        Any time the federal government wants to give me back the money they extorted over the past 45 years with interest I will say thank you very much. Our business is now complete. Feel free to ignore me.

        • I presume you are speaking of payroll taxes, Chris. Allow me to suggest that you are probably as guilty as anyone, for encouraging (voting for) politicians to spend their Ponzi scheme proceeds on current guns & butter measures, rather than putting it in a legitimate annuity for your retirement. They can’t return it, because they already spent it, and borrowed an unconscionable amount more, to keep buying the votes of the sheeple. 😉 â—„Daveâ–º

          • Chris says:

            Yes Dave I am guilty of being a consistent voter. At least my vote has always been for the one who promised to take and spend the least. Only because whether I vote or not somebody will take and spend.

            Funny thing. I was talking with Big John over a glass of wine yesterday. I brought up that I had just voted away my three year health care bridge for an early retirement. (Assuming Obamacare goes out the window) The subject of social security came up. He musingly wondered if he has gotten fair return on his lifetime of contributions. I had to chuckle. When he started working the contribution rate was practically nothing. Heck when he stopped working it was nothing compared to now. He has outlived the wildest imagination of any actuary back in the 40’s and 50’s. LOL he’s in year 22 of collecting ss retirement benefits. I just said don’t worry about it. Your doing fine. 😀

          • my vote has always been for the one who promised to take and spend the least. Only because whether I vote or not somebody will take and spend.

            And, because you live in NY, that vote is generally useless. The guy promising to tax the rich and spend it on his butter, will always win, even if you preferred the guy promising to spend it on guns. Your vote only helps maintain the illusion that all citizens voluntarily agree to mob rule, and the righteous majority has chosen their leader to collect your taxes. 😉

            Good for Big John. He has about 15 years on me; but even when I started working, we would max out our yearly contribution requirements in the first quarter. Of course, 35 of those dollars back then would buy an ounce of gold; but even after ~3600% inflation, he is well ahead. 😀 â—„Daveâ–º

      • if he delivers on your expectations.

        LOL … Like I said he has already delivered … for FREE … anything more is simply icing on the cake. I expected nothing except he get elected and disrupt the arrogant, corrupt GOP … the destruction of the progressives for posterity was an unexpected gift.

        Personally I adopted a mindset long ago … expect nothing from others and you will never be disappointed. I only expect of myself because I know exactly what I can do and CHOOSE TO DO.

        It works for me!

        Behaviorally I see those same traits in Trump. He will not take self failure easily and I imagine those who fail him will not last long around him. So what will he accomplish further? Who knows?

        Nothing Trump is going to do or NOT DO will change my life. And I live in the big city trouble free and have for my whole life.

        That being said my beef with today is the ethical bankruptcy and moral decay that is rampant in the country.

        NO ONE can fix that except a GREAT DAD AND MOM raising their children to be ethical/moral individuals. So we are screwed along those lines for a couple of generations if it ever gets fixed.

        Maybe Trump can start making people accountable for their bad behavior. My choice would be start with Hill and Bill then Obama.
        A good old fashion public hanging in the rose garden would be a start for these treasonous treacherous people.

        A totally unrealistic pipe-dream but enjoyable anyway. 😉

  • Of course, 35 of those dollars back then would buy an ounce of gold

    LOL … yes and there were some back then who decided to take advantage of that just in case. Oh along with old silver dollars. Silver was so cheap back then … for me it was worth taking a few and chopping them up, melting them down when I needed silver for my lampwork beads.

    Both silver and gold are beautiful encases in transparent glass. 😉

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